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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to notice to customers, governmental entities, and other |
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affected persons after significant interruptions of certain |
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services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 418.192(a), Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows: |
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(3) "Significant interruption of service" means an |
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interruption of essential products and services provided by a |
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public service provider that lasts one or more hours and affects the |
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provider's entire system, a major division of the provider's |
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system, a community, a critical load, or service to interruptible |
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customers, and a scheduled interruption lasting more than four |
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hours that affects customers who are not notified in advance. The |
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term includes: |
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(A) a loss of service to 20 percent or more of the |
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provider's customers, or 20,000 customers for a provider serving |
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more than 200,000 customers; and |
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(B) interruptions adversely affecting a |
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community such as interruptions of governmental agencies, military |
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bases, universities and schools, major retail centers, and major |
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employers. |
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SECTION 2. Section 418.192, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A public service provider shall [may] enter into a |
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contract for an emergency notification system described by this |
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section for use in informing the provider's customers, governmental |
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entities, and other affected persons regarding: |
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(1) notice of a disaster, [or] emergency, or |
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significant interruption of service; and |
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(2) any actions a recipient is required to take during |
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a disaster, [or] emergency, or significant interruption of service. |
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(b-1) The emergency notification system for which a |
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contract is entered into under Subsection (b) must provide notice |
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of a significant interruption of service as soon as reasonably |
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possible after the interruption occurs. The notice must include: |
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(1) the general location of the interruption; |
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(2) the cause of the interruption, if known; |
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(3) the date and time that the interruption began; |
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(4) the estimated date and time that service will be |
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restored; and |
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(5) the name and telephone number of the public |
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service provider. |
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(b-2) If the duration of a significant interruption of |
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service is longer than 24 hours, the emergency notification system |
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for which a contract is entered into under Subsection (b) must |
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provide an update to the information required under Subsection |
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(b-1) to the public service provider's customers, governmental |
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entities, and other affected persons not less than once every 24 |
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hours that the interruption continues. |
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SECTION 3. Section 418.192(h), Government Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |